“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” — James 5:16
Pastor Lee taught this one, with the room and the Zoom call together. The subject was prayer — not as a duty but as the line that stays open.
Three things prayer does
It keeps you connected. The class talked about praying at set times and talking to God through the day. Both. One without the other leaves the relationship either formal or vague.
It brings peace. Philippians 4:6–7 — be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds. The point made plainly: worry does not solve the thing, and it costs you your health while not solving it. God works through doctors, and the healing is still His.
It strengthens faith. And it changes the person praying, even in the stretches when nothing around them has changed yet.
A way to pray when you do not know how to start
The class walked through ACTS:
- Acknowledge — who He is, before anything you want
- Confess — honestly, and James 5:16 says to one another as well
- Thank — for what is already done
- Supplication — then ask
An honest note
One thread of the discussion was that not every hard situation is one to pray your way out of. Some are the result of choices, and the right response is a renewed mind and a better decision rather than asking God to undo the arithmetic.
The charge was to keep at it, and to bring others along: tell what God has done, pray with people rather than only for them, and teach the children how. And when you need somebody to talk to, ask God first who that should be.
Wednesday, July 22, 2026 · James 5:16, Philippians 4:6–7, Luke 15